April 30, 2021 — The first lawsuit involving hearing loss from 3M earplugs has ended in a $7.1 million jury verdict for 3 military veterans.
The “bellwether” trial in Pensacola, Florida, was the first to test how a jury would respond to evidence and award damages. After a 5-week trial, the jury awarded $2.4 million each to 3 veterans.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs said, “The evidence is clear: 3M knew their earplugs were defective, yet they allowed our service members to suffer these life-altering injuries.”
Around 240,000 military servicemen and women have filed claims for hearing loss despite wearing 3M’s dual-ended Combat Arms earplugs.
The distinctive green-and-yellow earplugs had two sides. One side was supposed to block high-intensity sounds like bombs, while the other side would allow a user to hear sounds like speech and orders.
Instead, many veterans returned from Iraq and Afghanistan with hearing loss, despite wearing the earplugs.
The military investigated and found that the earplugs were defective because they were too short and could loosen imperceptibly, failing to protect the user from loud noises.
The problematic earplugs were issued to the Army, Navy and Air Force from 2003 to 2015. 3M stopped selling the earplugs in 2015.
Do I have a 3M Earplug Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting 3M earplug induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know is a military veteran who has hearing loss, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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